A hobby I’ve taken up in the past year is astrophotography, which often involves going out in the middle of the night to get one of my photos off. smart telescopes or phones to image observable objects in deep space in the night sky.
The problem I have is that there are quite a few critters prowling around my neighborhood, like the garbage pandas that raid my trash can, the foxes that scream like someone is being murdered, or the marmots that scare me out of nowhere.
I don’t have much light in my backyard, so I’ve been leaning on the next best thing: a thermal imaging camera. That’s why the Thermal Master P2 is my favorite new phone accessory: because I always have it on my keychain, I can use it immediately when I hear strange noises approaching in the middle of the night.
I’ve tried other thermal cameras in the past, for example Flir One Edge Pro or Flir One Gen 3but they are bulky in size and I also have to make sure that I charge them every now and then – or that they are empty when I really need them. I don’t have any of these issues with the Thermal Master P2 because it comes in a case that I attach to my keychain, and it requires power from my phone.
When it’s time to use it, all I have to do is take it out of the case and plug it into my Android phone’s USB-C port. The Thermal Master P2 app launches immediately once connected, so I’m happy with how quickly I can start using it. Other thermal cameras that require direct Wi-Fi connections take much longer from a cold start because they must first establish a Wi-Fi connection.
When I tried astrophotography on my iPhone 16 Pro Max A few weeks ago I used the Thermal Master P2 to make sure my backyard was clean. Through the app it’s like I have a Predator-like view as it visualizes the scene based on heat signatures. Hot spots appear in yellow and red, while cold spots are usually blue. I’ve found this to work effectively because the Thermal Master P2 can see my small smart telescope outside from a distance of over 50 feet, while I physically couldn’t see it from the spot in my backyard.
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
There is also a beach around the corner from where I live, and I like to test the range of this thermal camera when I walk the boardwalk at night. When I look at the sand it can be hard to see unless I’ve given my eyes enough time to adjust, but the Thermal Master P2 gives me instant vision to see who’s out there. From about 200 feet away I could make out a few heat signatures that were moving. Ultimately, it was people walking their dogs along the water’s edge, which shows exactly how sensitive it is to the faintest heat signals.
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
However, this infrared thermal camera goes further than just providing visibility in the dark, because I have also used it for many other practical applications in and around my home. On the outside, it was sensitive enough to make out a hotspot near an attic window: an exhaust pipe from my attic water heater.
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(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
I know it’s a home improvement tool that any homeowner can appreciate because it can identify cold spots in the home due to drafts or inadequate sealing around a window. I also used the Thermal Master P2 on an area in my bathroom ceiling that unfortunately suffered water damage from a leaking roof above. I have since repaired that area and during the most recent rainstorm the thermal camera did not indicate any cool spots there.
I could go on about this for a while, but what I like best is that I can always carry this thermal imaging camera with me because it is attached to my house keys. It’s also passive in the sense that I don’t have to constantly charge it like other gadgets I carry with me. In no time, I can immediately use it to see in the dark.
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